GWA Consultants Australia Pty Ltd
Women in Coolings:
My name is Mikaila Ganado and I’m from Sydney, Australia.
I am one of the owners of GWA Consultants Australia, where I am a consulting engineer in the cooling and refrigeration sector. My work involves designing base building energy upgrades, controls, essential services, main plant upgrades and fitouts across the commercial, industrial, retail, aged care and entertainment sectors. My passion is working with pre-loved buildings to reduce their energy usage.
I’m a Director of AIRAH (The Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air conditioning and Heating), and I’m the President of Women of AIRAH. Since the establishment of Women in AIRAH, AIRAH’s female membership has risen from 3% to nearly 8%. We have assisted in raising the visibility of women in the industry through events, communications and input into AIRAH’s events and conferences.
I am a passionate advocate for the cooling industry and particularly the participation of women in the industry, and wider STEM fields.
I find being an engineer in the cooling industry is a challenging and rewarding career. I never tire of putting a design on a piece of paper, and seeing it come to life on site, knowing the potential impact to building occupants and the environment. My job requires a mix of technical expertise and communication skills that are rarely required in other fields.